US and Canadian officials on Friday will jointly announce new tank car safety standards for trains carrying crude oil, ethanol and other flammable liquids, the US Department of Transportation said Thursday. The announcement came as seven Democratic US senators introduced a bill that would impose a $175/car fee on shippers using older DOT-111 tank cars, adding to the chorus of lawmakers pressuring the Obama administration to finalize its long-anticipated crude-by-rail regulations. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and Canadian Transport Minister Lisa Raitt will be meeting Friday in Washington to harmonize standards between the two countries, according to sources. US regulators have been criticized for how long it has taken to finalize crude-by-rail safety rules first proposed in July, as oil train derailments continue to make headlines. Article continues below… Oilgram News brings you fast-breaking global petroleum and gas news on and including: Industry players, upstream and downstream markets, refineries, midstream […]